North Carolina Mountains - Beautiful Vistas & Great Retreats!

[giradman]

Fogged In on the Mountain!

Well, we woke up about about 8 AM and could only see our deck - the remainder fogged (or clouded) in - by about 10:30 AM, some clearing as shown by the pics below - we probably will consider some 'indoor' activities today - the ever changing weather in the mountains. Dave
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[giradman]

Cabin Hot Tub - Grandfather Mountain Now Visible!

Late in the morning, we decided to use the Hot Tub on the lower deck - pics below of the tub covered and uncovered with views of the mountains - spent about a half hour in the tub as the clouds cleared from the mountains - last views from the upper deck about noon. Might decide to explore Beech Mountain and their Buckeye Recreation Center which we've never visited? Dave
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[giradman]

Beech Mountain & the Buckeye Recreation Center

After our hot tub experience and a light lunch in the cabin, we headed out for Beech Mountain (first quote below) and the Buckeye Recreation Center (second quote). Just a short distance from Banner Elk (see map), Beech Mountain (over a mile altitude) is the highest town east of the Mississippi River and relies heavily on tourism, especially during the winter ski season, as evident from some of the pics.

The Buckeye Recreation Center is a new complex - short description below; the indoor activities are extensive but cannot really comment, i.e. our first visit - we mainly walked the trails near the center, BUT many more trails (longer and more strenuous) are nearby. Buckeye Lake offers water activities that we did not try. While driving in the area, we saw at least a dozen deer, some w/ fawns - pic of one in the bushes below. My main issue with this obviously wonderful facility is its location and access - as the map shows, you first need to ascend to the mile height of the town of Beech Mountain, and then descend to reach the Recreation Center - we likely will not return if we come back to the area, so just a comment for those who may be visiting this part of the North Carolina Mountains. Dave

Beech Mountain is a town in both Avery and Watauga counties in North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 320. The town is located atop Beech Mountain and is the highest town east of the Rocky Mountains. The town relies heavily on tourism, with the population swelling as high as 5,000 in the summer, and to 10,000 during the peak of ski season. The abundance of outdoor activities, mild summer temperatures, and ski resort make it a popular location for people in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida to own both summer and winter vacation homes. At an elevation of 5,506 feet (1,678 m), Beech Mountain is the highest incorporated community east of the Mississippi River. Beech Mountain Ski Resort is one of very few ski areas operating in the Southeastern United States. (Source)

The brand-new Buckeye Recreation Center is a 22,500-square-foot facility offering recreational opportunities like indoor basketball, volleyball, and tennis; a fitness room; a conference room with catering area, and a playroom built specifically for children under 12. It’s perfect for getting that much-needed cardio exercise, or for exercising your family’s competitive nature. (Source)

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[scifan57]

Beech Mountain & the Buckeye Recreation Center

After our hot tub experience and a light lunch in the cabin, we headed out for Beech Mountain (first quote below) and the Buckeye Recreation Center (second quote). Just a short distance from Banner Elk (see map), Beech Mountain (over a mile altitude) is the highest town east of the Mississippi River and relies heavily on tourism, especially during the winter ski season, as evident from some of the pics.

The Buckeye Recreation Center is a new complex - short description below; the indoor activities are extensive but cannot really comment, i.e. our first visit - we mainly walked the trails near the center, BUT many more trails (longer and more strenuous) are nearby. Buckeye Lake offers water activities that we did not try. While driving in the area, we saw at least a dozen deer, some w/ fawns - pic of one in the bushes below. My main issue with this obviously wonderful facility is its location and access - as the map shows, you first need to ascend to the mile height of the town of Beech Mountain, and then descend to reach the Recreation Center - we likely will not return if we come back to the area, so just a comment for those who may be visiting this part of the North Carolina Mountains. Dave




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A great place to visit, summer or winter.

 

[giradman]

Hi Scifan.. - Beech Mountain is a local 'skiing mecca' - by the front door of our cabin, there is even a place to stack you skis - I use to ice skate a lot growing up in southern Michigan and of course did a lot of sledding, but never had on a pair of skis; plus, coming to the mountains in the winter can be a driving nightmare on these roads - much prefer this time of year.

For those near and wanting to see Beech Mtn, my main complaints over the decades of driving up to this mile high town are: 1) the roads are confusing (many, short, & winding) and one is easily lost w/o a map, as I was yesterday trying to get back to the main town from the recreation center; and 2) seems to be a lack of good places to eat, i.e. if I were renting (or owned) a place on the top, driving down (and back up) each day for dinner could get to be a pain; obviously, one could always 'cook in' - our option tonight - Susan brought an elk tenderloin and some spinach - I have some Oregon pinot noir - so we'll eat looking at the mountains for our last night - home tomorrow (but may visit a few wineries half way back?). Dave

 

[giradman]

Louisiana Purchase - Dinner Last Night

Last night, we had dinner at the Louisiana Purchase Restaurant in downtown Banner Elk (which is mainly a busy one street, HW184) - the restaurant has been located in the same place for 34 years and despite having passed the place dozens of times over the decades visiting the area, this was our first stop.

As the name suggests (and the menus below), the cuisine is centered on Cajun and Creole dishes - we thoroughly enjoyed and again this post is for those reading the thread who might be visiting the town and environs and looking for an upscale restaurant, which is rated 3 AAA Diamonds and has received numerous Wine Spectator awards for its wine selections - I had several glasses of a Joseph Drouhin white Burgundy, i.e. a Chardonnay, while Susan had a delicious mojito w/ plenty of home grown muddled mint and fresh peaches (instead of lime).

The menu is shown below in two pics - for starters we shared the baked oysters and a special fresh tomato salad for the night (and not described below). For our entrees, Susan had the barbecued shrimp (pic below from the web) w/ a cheesy grit cake - I had the blackened fish (Atlantic cod last night) w/ crawfish tails etouffée, both dishes were nicely spiced. For dessert, one of her favorites, Bananas Foster (I was able to take a few bites). Not as pricey as Artisanal the previous night but still in the $$$ (out of 4$) range. Highly recommended if the menu appeals and the food budget is in good shape. Dave
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[giradman]

Seven Devils, NC - Deerwood Retreat

The small town of Seven Devils is mainly a resort and residential village with many seasonal visitors. What interested me was the origin of the name which has several explanations, but the one below in the quote is what we have read and heard most often. Indeed, this afternoon, the wind was howling and I could picture screaming devils or banshees!

For those reading this thread who may be visiting the Banner Elk area and are interested in renting Deerwood Retreat, then check the link - there are dozens of pictures posted (I've selected just a handful below and have posted others earlier) - we are renting from Carolina Cabin Rentals and have been pleased with the cabin and their service; of course, there are PLENTY of more options on this and nearby mountains. Dave

The Town of Seven Devils has always been a "resort" Town, with various recreational facilities available to residents and visitors alike. Beginning in the early 1960's, the Reynolds brothers from Winston-Salem, NC explored the mountain on horseback, and purchased the land, which would be known as the "High Country", a place that "would have more mountain recreational facilities than any other area in the Southeast." The name of Seven Devils is always intriguing; the story of the unique name is that the natives said the wind blowing across these hills in the wintertime sounds like seven devils screaming in the night. And the name stuck! (Source)

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[giradman]

Changing Mountain Panoramas Nightly

Last night, there was a beautiful red dusk sunset (first pic below) - today intermittent rains with portions of the mountains shrouded in mist/clouds - our afternoon activity today was a visit to Valle Crucis and the famous Mast General Store - next post! Dave
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[giradman]

Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, North Carolina - Part I

Our last full day, weather prediction cloudy w/ intermittent rain - we spent the morning relaxing in the cabin and ate a light lunch - then decided to drive to Valle Crucis (8 miles from Banner Elk BUT these are 'mountain miles' on winding roads); are goals were: 1) Some exercise in the Valle Crucis Park for walking on paved trails, including river views; and 2) Visit to the Mast General Store, the latter a MUST if in the area!

The Mast General Store is such a FUN place to visit (see quotes and links) - opened in 1883, the building looks its age w/ uneven floors and so many 'old timey' offerings - the candies and sodas bring back childhood memories for both Susan and I, e.g. those candy cigarettes! The shoe selection is up scale and outstanding; the knife/cutlery/etc. area is mind boggling with the selections, including handmade items from Europe to local products from the Boone area - I can go on, but took a LOT of pics and included a few dozen below - hopefully those visiting will make a stop (and a big disappointment, if missed) - Dave

P.S. I cannot upload all of the pics, so will split the two dozen - see next post!

The Mast General Store, is a general store located in Historic Valle Crucis, North Carolina. It is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as one of the best remaining examples of the type. It is still the center of the community housing the post office (Valle Crucis, NC 28691) and offering coffee for 5¢ on the honor system. There is even a large wood stove you can sit around on cold days swapping stories or playing a game of checkers. It remains true to the old-time tradition by offering items that its neighbors might need, as well as products of interest to travelers and other visitors. Today there are nine locations, including the Original Store and Annex, both located in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. The store sells commodities, such as old-time hearth and home goods, outdoor clothing and gear, footwear, work clothes, old-fashioned wind-up toys, regional books and music, honey, and more than 500 varieties of old-fashioned candy. (Source)

The building that would become Mast General Store was constructed in 1882 by Henry Taylor and opened in 1883. W.W. Mast purchased half interest in the store in 1897, and the store was renamed the "Taylor and Mast General Store". In 1913, Mast purchased the remaining half of Taylor's interest, and the business became known as the Mast General Store. The business stayed in the family through three generations until 1973, when it was sold to a doctor from Atlanta and a professor from Appalachian State University. The business closed its doors in 1977, but reopened in 1980 when it was purchased by John and Faye Cooper. In 1996, it became an employee-owned company. (Source)

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[giradman]

Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, North Carolina - Part II

Remaining pics - enjoy! Dave
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[scifan57]

Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, North Carolina - Part II

Remaining pics - enjoy! Dave
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There was once an old hardware store like this in my neighbourhood that also had an old style post office in the back as well as the old display cases and uneven wood floors. Now the building has an upscale 50s style restaurant. It was a shame when the hardware store closed.

 

[giradman]

Sorry for the loss, although I hope the restaurant is good - As quoted before, the Mast General Store closed in 1977, the year I returned to Winston Salem to be on the radiology staff of the medical school, then re-opended in 1980 and is now employee owned. We had been to the Boone-Beech Mountain area during my 72-75 residency and early faculty years but not sure when we first visited the store - obviously had to be post-80 (don't believe pre-75)? Dave

 

[giradman]

Laurel Gray & Raffaldini Wineries - Wine Tastings

On the way home from the Boone area, we pass Windsor Road, an intersection w/ HW 421 that is surrounded by the small Swan Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) of North Carolina (about 40 mins from our home) - we often stop for several wine tastings - there are about a half dozen wineries in the area (see map below) - this time we visited Laurel Gray Vineyards and Raffaldini Vineyards, probably my favorites in that AVA. Most of the pics below are from my iPhone and of Raffaldini Vineyards, which specializes in the use of Italian grapes - as I was taking some pictures (love the panos), a 'guy' was picking weeds in front of the tasting building which is just beautiful and so Italianate - we shook hands and introduced himself as Jay Raffaldini, i.e. the owner and a famous hedge fund investor (see last pic) - well, that was a surprise - could have asked a bunch of questions but he was soon off. Dave

P.S. click the panos in particular for a much more spectacular view!
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[giradman]

Blowing Rock - Chetola Resort Again - Quick December Get-away

As most know reading this thread, Blowing Rock, NC (near Boone), just a 90-min drive for us, is an annual favorite (if not twice a year) - well, our last visit was back in June 2018 (pg. 15), so we thought a quick 3-nighter in December would get us a 2019 trip - NOW, we've been here before this time of year and picked a time w/ no precipitation expected (about 10º F cooler than @ home), so in the 40s F now and into the 20s at night. Staying at one of our favorite condos and probably have pics pages ago.

Today, I went on a walk x 2 around Bass Lake (needed a heavier jacket, gloves and a stocking hat from my previous school of employment) - the views were spectacularly different w/ the leaves gone from the deciduous trees and the lake completely absent of lily pads (see previous pages for pics of the lake in the summer time). The Moses Cone Manor is more clearly seen up on the hill (the craft shop is closed for the season so not a visit this time); the fallen trees in the water had a different appearance and frost/snow were on the ground around the lake. All pics below my own from today (using my iPhone). Dave
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[giradman]

BRAHM - Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

The BRAHM is a small museum located in downtown Blowing Rock - we visit each time here mainly because the exhibits are ever changing and usually multiple - each occupies a small space/room in the building so an hour or two is sufficient to see all. On our visit yesterday, there were five 'new' exhibits (listed below - took a LOT of pics so will make a short post of each for those who might be interested) - again, for those in the area or visiting the town, then highly recommended.

Photographs by Hugh Morton: An Uncommon Retrospective
Sound Machines: Stringed Instruments by the Capozzoli Guitar Company
Sallie Middleton: A Life in the Forest
Shared Spaces: Wildlife Wood Sculptures by Pete Lupo
Photography of David Holt

Hugh MacRae Morton (1921-2006), born in Wilmington, NC; he spent his childhood on Grandfather Mountain, which was own by his grandfather (now given to the state of North Carolina). He was a wonderful freelance photographer, active during WWW II - he has many other accomplishments described in the first pic below. Other images just a sampling of about a third of the photographs exhibited.

P.S. Piedmont Airlines was founded in Winston-Salem in 1948; we enjoyed flying on their planes, especially from our local Smith Reynolds Airport - disappeared in 1989 in a merger to form USAir, which of course recently became part of American Airlines. Just a number of 'lost' businesses/corporations having their origins in our town but now gone - Wachovia Bank another good example (swallowed up by Wells Fargo).
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